STATE v WHITESHIELD SORENSEN
Annotate this Case
Download PDF
No. 14963 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1979 STATE OF MONTANA, Plaintiff and Appellant, RUDY WHITESHIELD and PAUL SCOTT SORENSEN, Defendants and Respondents. Appeal from: District Court of the Third Judicial District, Honorable John B. McClernan, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Hon. Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana Ted Mizner, County Attorney, Deer Lodge, Montana For Respondents: Byron W. Boggs, Anaconda, Montana - - - Submitted on briefs: Dec. 28, 1979 Decided : J u s t i c e J o h n Conway H a r r i s o n d e l i v e r e d t h e O p i n i o n o f t h e Court. Mr. T h i s i s a n a p p e a l by t h e S t a t e o f Montana from a n o r d e r o f t h e P o w e l l County D i s t r i c t C o u r t , t h e Honorable John B. McClernan p r e s i d i n g , d i s m i s s i n g c h a r g e s o f a f e l o n y e s c a p e which had been f i l e d a g a i n s t t h e d e f e n d a n t s . D e f e n d a n t s were i n m a t e s i n t h e Montana S t a t e P r i s o n and b o t h w e r e p a r t i c i p a n t s i n a p r i s o n e r f u r l o u g h program. D e f e n d a n t W h i t e s h i e l d walked away from h i s f u r l o u g h i n B u t t e , Montana, was a r r e s t e d i n L i n c o l n , Nebraska and was r e t u r n e d t o t h e S t a t e o f Montana. The d e f e n d a n t S o r e n s o n walked away from h i s f u r l o u g h i n M i s s o u l a , Montana, was a r r e s t e d i n San Diego, C a l i f o r n i a and r e t u r n e d t o t h e S t a t e o f Montana. Both had t h e i r f u r l o u g h s r e v o k e d and were c h a r g e d w i t h a f e l o n y e s c a p e u n d e r s e c t i o n 45-7-306, MCA. The D i s t r i c t C o u r t d i s m i s s e d t h e c h a r g e s on t h e b a s i s t h a t w a l k i n g away from a f u r l o u g h i s n o t a f e l o n y e s c a p e u n d e r the statute. The s o l e i s s u e i s w h e t h e r l e a v i n g a f u r l o u g h i s a felony escape. S e c t i o n 45-7-306, MCA r e a d s i n whole a s f o l l o w s : (1) " O f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n " means "ESCAPE. i m p r i s o n m e n t which r e s u l t e d from a c o n v i c t i o n f o r a n o f f e n s e , confinement f o r an o f f e n s e , confinement of a person charged w i t h a n o f f e n s e , d e t e n t i o n by a p e a c e o f f i c e r pursuant t o a r r e s t , detention f o r e x t r a d i t i o n o r d e p o r t a t i o n , o r any l a w f u l d e t e n t i o n f o r t h e purpose of t h e p r o t e c t i o n of t h e welfare of t h e person detained o r f o r the protection of society. 'Official d e t e n t i o n ' does n o t include supervision of probation o r p a r o l e , c o n s t r a i n t i n c i d e n t a l t o r e l e a s e on b a i l , o r a n u n l a w f u l a r r e s t u n l e s s t h e p e r s o n a r r e s t e d employed p h y s i c a l f o r c e , ,a t h r e a t o f p h y s i c a l f o r c e , o r a weapon t o e s c a p e . " ( 2 ) A person s u b j e c t t o o f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n commits t h e o f f e n s e of e s c a p e i f he knowingly o r p u r p o s e l y removes h i m s e l f from o f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n o r f a i l s t o r e t u r n t o o f f i c i a l det e n t i o n f o l l o w i n g temporary l e a v e g r a n t e d f o r a s p e c i f i c purpose o f l i m i t e d t i m e . " ( 3 ) A p e r s o n c o n v i c t e d of t h e o f f e s e o f e s c a p e s h a l l be: " ( a ) imprisoned iii t h e s t a t e p r i s o n f o r a t e r m n o t t o exceed twenty ( 2 0 ) y e a r s i f he e s c a p e s from a s t a t e p r i s o n , c o u n t y j a i l , o r c i t y j a i l by t h e u s e o r t h r e a t of f o r c e , p h y s i c a l v i o l e n c e , weapon, o r s i m u l a t e d weapon; " ( b ) imprisoned i n t h e s t a t e p r i s o n f o r a term n o t t o exceed t e n ( 1 0 ) y e a r s i f he: " ( i ) e s c a p e s from a s t a t e p r i s o n , c o u n t y jail, or city jail; or " ( i i ) e s c a p e s from a n o t h e r o f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n by t h e u s e o r t h r e a t of f o r c e , p h y s i c a l v i o l e n c e , weapon, o r s i m u l a t e d weapon; o r " ( c ) f i n e d n o t t o exceed f i v e hundred d o l l a r s ($500) o r i m p r i s o n e d i n t h e c o u n t y j a i l f o r a term n o t t o exceed 6 months, o r b o t h , i f he commits e s c a p e under c i r cumstances o t h e r t h a n ( a ) and ( b ) of t h i s subsection." The f i r s t two p a r a g r a p h s of t h i s s t a t u t e d e f i n e t h e crime of escape. The t h i r d p a r a g r a p h , which i s c o n t r o l l i n g , d e f i n e s t h e punishment f o r t h e c r i m e of e s c a p e and d e l i n e a t e s f e l o n y e s c a p e from misdemeanor e s c a p e . The r e s p o n d e n t s h e r e i n do n o t a r g u e t h a t s e c t i o n 45-7306, MCA d o e s n o t a p p l y t o them. Both of them admit walking away from a f u r l o u g h s i t u a t i o n , however t h e y a r g u e t h a t t h e s t a t u t e c a n o n l y be a p p l i e d t o them on t h e b a s i s of a m i s demeanor c h a r g e . The r e s p o n d e n t s do n o t c o n t e s t t h e S t a t e ' s argument t h a t t h e y were s u b j e c t t o t h e o f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n under p a r a g r a p h 1 o r t h a t t h e y committed t h e o f f e n s e of e s c a p e under p a r a g r a p h 2 o f t h e s t a t u t e . Respondents' argument i s t h a t t h e y d i d n o t commit a n o f f e n s e by t h e u s e o f f o r c e and t h e r e f o r e t h e y a r e n o t punishable under paragraph 3 ( a ) o r 3 ( b ) ( i i ) of t h e s t a t u t e and t h e y d i d n o t e s c a p e from t h e s t a t e p r i s o n , a c o u n t y jail, a c i t y j a i l , and a r e t h e r e f o r e n o t p u n i s h a b l e u n d e r 3 ( b ) ( i )o f t h e s t a t u t e . The S t a t e d o e s n o t c o n t e s t r e s p o n d e n t s ' argument t h a t t h e e s c a p e w a s n o t by means o f f o r c e . The a p p e l l a n t S t a t e d o e s c o n t e s t t h a t t h e e s c a p e was n o t from t h e s t a t e p r i s o n . The S t a t e a r g u e s r e s p o n d e n t s a c t u a l l y e s c a p e d from t h e s t a t e p r i s o n , r e l y i n g on s e c t i o n 46-23-402, MCA. I n analyzing t h i s argument, w e f i r s t f i n d t h a t it f l i e s i n t h e f a c e of common s e n s e . The f a c t i s , S o r e n s o n e s c a p e d w h i l e he w a s on f u r l o u g h i n t h e C i t y o f M i s s o u l a w i t h freedom t o walk t h e streets of t h a t c i t y . Likewise, Whiteshield escaped while on f u r l o u g h i n t h e C i t y o f B u t t e w i t h freedom t o move a b o u t that city. To s a y t h a t t h e y w e r e i n a s t a t e p r i s o n j u s t i s n o t t r u e , and i n o u r o p i n i o n i t would amount t o f i c t i o n i n a d e q u a t e t o form t h e b a s i s f o r a f e l o n y c o n v i c t i o n . Second, s e c t i o n 46-23-402, MCA r e l i e d on by t h e a p p e l - l a n t S t a t e d o e s n o t h i n g t o answer t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h i s c a s e . That s e c t i o n does say t h a t a furlough " s h a l l s e r v e t o extend t h e l i m i t s of confinement f o r treatment a s w e l l a s f o r j u r i s d i c t i o n a l purposes." But, t h a t language does n o t answer w h e t h e r l e a v i n g f u r l o u g h i s a f e l o n y o r a misdemeanor escape. Only t h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e e s c a p e s t a t u t e i t s e l f c a n answer t h i s q u e s t i o n . S e c t i o n 46-23-402, MCA o n l y p r o v i d e s t h e b a s i s f o r making l e a v i n g f u r l o u g h a c r i m e . I f a fur- l o u g h e e was n o t u n d e r t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f a p r i s o n , l e a v i n g f u r l o u g h would n o t b e a n e s c a p e a t a l l . Third, we agree with respondents' contention t h a t t h e S t a t e ' s argument i g n o r e s t h e purposes expressed i n paragraph 3 of t h e escape s t a t u t e . That paragraph c l a s s i f i e s t h e escape according t o t h e r i s k t h a t i s created. E s c a p i n g from t h e s t a t e p r i s o n c r e a t e s a s e r i o u s r i s k d e s e r v i n g of a f e l o n y punishment b e c a u s e t h e p r i s o n i s m a i n t a i n e d by g u a r d s who have a d u t y t o p r e v e n t e s c a p e s and t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s a r e such t h a t attempts t o escape c r e a t e t h e r i s k of violence. The r i s k o f v i o l e n c e i s i n c r e a s e d where t h e e s c a p e e u s e s force. Thus u n d e r p a r a g r a p h 3 ( a ) , a f o r c e f u l e s c a p e from t h e p r i s o n may b e p u n i s h e d by up t o t w e n t y ( 2 0 ) y e a r s i n p r i s o n ; and u n d e r 3 ( b ) a n e s c a p e from a p r i s o n i s p u n i s h a b l e w i t h up t o t e n ( 1 0 ) y e a r s . Leaving t h e l o c a t i o n o f o n e ' s f u r l o u g h d o e s n o t create a r i s k . And t h e f a c t t h a t t h e i r escape does n o t c r e a t e a r i s k i s t h e b a s i s f o r t r e a t i n g t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s a s a misdemeanor u n d e r p a r a g r a p h 2 . W e n o t e t h a t t h e o f f i c i a l commission comment on s e c t i o n 45-7-306, MCA i n t h e f i r s t p a r a g r a p h r e a d s a s f o l l o w s : "The s e c t i o n c l a s s i f i e s e s c a p e s a c c o r d i n g t o t h e r i s k they c r e a t e . Punishment i s more sev e r e f o r t h e o f f e n s e when committed by u s e o f o r t h r e a t o f f o r c e , p h y s i c a l v i o l e n c e , weapon o r s i m u l a t e d weapon. The g r a d i n g o f t h e o f f e n s e by r e l y i n g on t h e p r i s o n e r ' s u s e o f f o r c e i s a c t u a l l y a r e t u r n t o t h e common law, s i n c e e a r l y common law c l e a r l y d i s t i n q u i s h e d between e s c a p e s w i t h and w i t h o u t t h e u s e o f f o r c e . The g r a d i n g scheme i m p l i c i t i n t h e o l d c o d e by which p u n i s h ment i s p r o v i d e d i n r e f e r e n c e t o t h e t y p e o f c o n f i n e m e n t , i s n o t e n t i r e l y abandoned i n s e c t i o n 94-7-306. (Now S 45-7-306, MCA.) F o r example, u s e o f f o r c e i n e s c a p i n g from a n o n i n s t i t u t i o n a l d e t e n t i o n c a l l s f o r a lesser punishment t h a n e s c a p e from t h e p r i s o n , c o u n t y o r c i t y j a i l . F u r t h e r , a n e s c a p e w i t h o u t u s e o f f o r c e from a noncustodial d e t e n t i o n a s provided i n subsection 3 ( c ) removes t h e o f f e n s e from t h e f e l o n y c a t e gory a l t o g e t h e r . " T h i s commission comment makes c l e a r t h a t u n d e r t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s i n t h i s c a s e t h e r e s p o n d e n t s w e r e p u n i s h a b l e o n l y under t h e misdemeanor s e c t i o n o f t h e e s c a p e s t a t u t e . Therefore, we a f f i r m t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t ' s d i s m i s s a l of t h e felony charge. W e concur: Chief J u s t i c e
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
